pFriem + Jester King
pFriem Family Brewers

an apparently nameless farmhouse ale here between two of the greats, 2019 vintage, little bottle from pfriem holding up well, this really stood out as more pfriem than jester king in the context of opening up way too many of their beers on our epic jester king day, more subtle, less wild, more classic saison, not as tart or as bretty as most of the jester king stuff. that is not to say its uninteresting, not at all, but it seems to me like its primary ferment was with saison yeast, not some funky culture, and that the funk it does have came from the french wine barrels it was aged in, but that is all speculation based on how this smells and tastes. pretty honey colored brew from the bottle, rushing carbonation collecting into a full inch of shaving cream looking head, all sudsy and lathery, rather clear through most of the bottle too. the nose and taste are pretty close, high tone esters up front with lemon and pear nuance, white wine notes, floral like fresh roses and tulips, a decent amount of oak that manifests as slight sweetness, then white pepper and even peppery rye almost as it warms, light funk to the finish, more rustic than wild, but the fermentation is pleasantly complex, some spiciness there it seems too, and overall i found this hoppier than is traditional, noble when cold, but more modern at temperature, subtle green grape, kiwi fruit, fresh herbs, and meyer lemon. chardonnay character at the end with the oak, light tartness, hearty wheaty grain that still tastes fresh, this is quite bready really, and awesome carbonation making this feel lively and almost creamy. nice beer, real drinkable, a little bitter to finish, but unique and nuanced. it has aged nicely as well.